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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23456737">Fools</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/iimplicitt/pseuds/iimplicitt'>iimplicitt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter One Shots/Stories [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>1980s, Angst, Death Eaters, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Healing, Knockturn Alley, Love, Magic, Muggle London, Mutual Pining, Post-Hogwarts, Regulus Black Deserves Better, Regulus Black Lives, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 15:08:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23456737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/iimplicitt/pseuds/iimplicitt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Clara, an ex Death Eater on the run, got a letter from Sirius asking her to meet up in Knockturn Alley, only for her to be ambushed and stumble into her old friend Regulus Black.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Regulus Black/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Harry Potter One Shots/Stories [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1687453</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fools</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Clara</b> glanced up at the old, crooked building that resided in a divot in Knockturn Alley. She sighed and rolled her shoulders, glancing at the letter she had clutched in her hand. It was from Sirius, or it was supposed to seem like it was. The moment she got the letter she knew it was a trap.</p><p>Sirius never to wrote to her, not any more at least. Ever since she fell into the likes of his brother Regulus he had stopped talking to her. It hurt but she guessed she couldn't blame him. Clara and Regulus had joined the Death Eaters, after all.</p><p>Things were different now, though.</p><p>Clara had ran.</p><p>It was a mistake joining them, she couldn't believe how stupid she had been. Honestly, they simply preyed on what beliefs she already had, encouraging her and claiming they were moving into a new age of magical evolution. They'd make the world shine and wizard's and witch's would thrive in peace.</p><p>How wrong they had been.</p><p>The fake letter from Sirius was clearly some ploy to lure her in and either kill her or take her to the Dark Lord for desertion. In which he would also kill her or torture her. But she was pissed, angry that they thought they had a right to use Sirius' name just to mess with her. Clara was a very prideful person, which made her very reckless.</p><p>Such as now, walking right into the lions den.</p><p>The old building smelt damp and she crinkled her nose, there was also a draft that made her skin break out into goose bumps. She cast a silencing charm on herself that way her footsteps on the old floor boards were hushed. It was dead silent, she didn't much like the anticipation.</p><p>Part of her wanted to turn and run out, the other half wanted to yell at whoever was there to do something already. Clara decided to keep silent and reached a narrow staircase, taking a deep breath before starting.</p><p>Before she could make it up two steps, someone gripped her arm and she nearly screamed if it weren't for he hand pressed against her mouth. Then she bit down, hard.</p><p>"<em>Ow.</em>"</p><p>Her brows furrowed but then her eyes widened and she lit her wand, "Regulus? What the fuck are you doing here?" She whispered and he was shaking his hand before looking at her, his gray eyes seemed to glow in the pale white light her wand was emitting.</p><p>"What are <em>you</em> doing here? Are you mental?"</p><p>She stared at him, how his pale skin seemed to glow and his dark curls rested above his brow. He was all sharp edges, crafted from hard lines. She hadn't seem him in so long. The boy she knew was gone, there was no flush to his cheeks or a smirk teasing his lips.</p><p>"I'm here to confront whoever sent that fake letter from Sirius-"</p><p>"Why on earth would you do that? You could get killed." He bit out quietly, glancing over her shoulder up the stairs warily. "I can handle myself," she said curtly. He clenched his jaw in frustration, he forgot how stubborn she could be. "That's not the point Clara, you can't just run head on into danger for the thrill of it."</p><p>"That's not what this is."</p><p>"Really?" he raised a dark brow at her. His relief at seeing for the first time in months was clouded due to his anger at her recklessness. Really though, he shouldn't be surprised. She did tell a group of Death Eaters to go fuck themselves before she aparated away, she'd be on the run for the rest of her life.</p><p>Clara crossed her arms. "you know you're the one talk, I remember-"</p><p>"Oh well isn't it our lovely Clara!"</p><p>The two whirled around, greeted by the sight of Bellatrix, her husband Rodolphus, and another Death Eater, all grinning at her mischievously. Bellatrix turned to Regulus, "well done cousin, apparently we underestimated you. We would've never thought to send a letter posed as your brother."</p><p>Clara's eyes widened and she whirled around, her heart beating in her throat as she stared at him. "You sent the letter?" Her tone was hurt and accusatory, sending a cut through Regulus. He wanted to tell her that yes, he sent it. But only because he knew she would recognize it was a trap and she should stay away. Yet here she was, she showed up anyway.</p><p>Regulus couldn't tell her that, not in front of his cousin and Voldemort's followers.</p><p>He merely swallowed, his tongue feeling painfully dry. His lips parted to say something, but he closed his mouth.</p><p>"You <em>disgust</em> me, your own brother," she ground out and didn't waste a moment as she spun around and fired a hex at Bellatrix. The mad woman merely laughed and blocked it. "Now we're getting started!"</p><p>Spell after spell was fired, Clara had to back down the stairs as the trio of Death Eaters advanced down the steps, firing crucio but she could only assume the spells would eventually turn deadly. She felt like screaming, the betrayal of Regulus tearing through her like a knife.</p><p>At the thought of the boy, she glanced over her shoulder, wondering why he hadn't hit her with a spell yet. She barely had a chance to look at him when she saw his eyes widen, reflecting green at the light behind her and he yelled something, maybe her name, but he grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her painfully hard as they suddenly aparated.</p><p>The world bent and turned around them, flashes of different environments forming before they're eyes and then going away again. Then everything went still and they landed in a heap in the middle of her flat's living room. Clara didn't have time to get her wits about her as the sound of Regulus screaming met her ears.</p><p>He had gotten splinched and a dagger was jutting out of his left thigh, Bellatrix had thrown it. He was bleeding through his shirt and pants, thrashing on the floor and a series of curses left her lips as she scrambled over to him. "Reg, you complete asshole," she said breathlessly as she used a charm to cut his shirt open. She winched at the swirling pattern of missing flesh that trailed from his left shoulder to down across his sternum.</p><p>She willed herself calm down as she summoned dittany from her potions cupboard, the bottle shooting into her shaking hand. Sounds of pain tore through his throat, sounding like a wounded animal. "This is going to sting a bit," she said slowly and he squeezed his eyes shut, nodding.</p><p>Clara opened the bottle and poured into his wounds.</p><p>"<em>Fuck</em>," he ground out, throwing his head back and hitting it against the floor. Greenish steam billowed up from the wound and slowly new muscle started to grow, eventually closing all the wounds but there was scaring that would forever litter his skin. And he'd be very sore for the next week or so.</p><p>Regulus' chest was heaving, his mind fuzzy due to the pain and Clara brushed the curls back from his damp forehead. "I'm sorry but just a little more and it'll be over." She glanced down at the knife jutting out of his leg and he sighed shakily, throwing an arm over his eyes.</p><p>"Just do it- <em>fuck</em>! Merlin, Clara."</p><p>She had yanked the knife from his thigh with a sharp tug and his vision went white for a second as he felt as the blade retreated and scraped against bone and muscle. Quickly healing the wound, she helped him into a seated position against the couch.</p><p>"Are you okay?" her voice was soft, lulling around him and it made a warmness pool in his chest. He didn't trust his words, so he merely nodded. Clara smiled, resting a hand against his cheek. "I'm glad to hear it." Regulus shut his eyes, taking in the feel of her skin.</p><p>And then she slapped him.</p><p>His eyes shot open, hand pressed to his now warm cheek and he gaped at her, "what was that for?"</p><p>"You complete bastard, Regulus Black. I cannot believe you sent me a fake letter posing as Sirius!" her voice was shrill and she stood up, pacing in front of him. He can't believe she slapped him, it wasn't like he nearly just died saving her life. He knew better than to say that though.</p><p>With a deep breath, he explained and slowly he watched most of her anger deflate, but with the glimmer behind her green eyes he knew she was still a bit pissed. Clara rubbed at her eyes for a moment, still not completely able to wrap her head around everything that had happened in the past hour.</p><p>"C'mon," she held out her hand and gestured for him to stand up. He furrowed his brows but complied, his larger hand enveloping hers. Clara tugged him up with his uninjured arm and wrapped her other around his waist to steady his walk as they moved down the hall to her bedroom.</p><p>His skin was very warm, she could feel his rib cage slowly rising and falling with each breath against her. "There should be some spare pajama pants in the closet," she gestured before walking into her bathroom to fetch something.</p><p>He pulled out a loose pair of sleeping pants, stripped light blue and white and glanced over his shoulder, only to find Clara herself changing. His cheeks burned at the sight of her bare back and he whirled back around before slipping off his bloodied trousers. After changing, the pants hung loose from his hips and Regulus sat on the edge of her bed, eyes looking around her room with curious eyes.</p><p>There wasn't much in her room, it was painted a light gray and her sheets were white. There was a desk shoved in the corner and a bookcase across from her bed. What caught his eye was a single picture posted above her desk.</p><p>It was of them, during their sixth year and Slytherin had won the house cup. He had an arm thrown over her shoulders while hers were around his waist, both of them beaming at the camera and laughing as a party in the Slytherin common room took place around them. That seemed like so long ago.</p><p>He was pulled from his thoughts as the bed dipped beside him. Clara was sat crisscrossed, unscrewing a jar of blue tinted ointment. She had changed into an oversize jumper and some shorts, her red hair wound up in a messy knot. "What's that?" he asked, his voice hoarse and he cleared his throat.</p><p>"It'll help with the soreness," she muttered before dipping two fingers into it. His breath caught in his throat as she began to rub slow circles into his skin, over the new scars and a warmness hummed underneath her movements. They were quiet for awhile and his eyes trailed to the picture again.</p><p>"How'd you know where I live?" she finally asked, the question had been bugging her. At the sight of his flushed cheeks, she smiled and shook her head. "If you knew where I had been this entire time why not stop by?"</p><p>Regulus shook his head, "I couldn't, even if i wanted to."</p><p>Clara paused as her hands drifted to his chest, she could feel the steady beat of his heart. "And did you want to?" Her voice was very quiet and he turned to look at her, but she wasn't meeting his gaze. He debated with himself for a moment.</p><p>Part of him knew he should let it be, but he missed her, so much. Just when he thought things would start for them all hell broke loose, and Voldemort took over their lives. And then she left. He never thought he would see her again until one day he passed by a muggle cafe in London and he followed her back to her flat. It was in a very congested part of the city, swarming with muggles and filth and sin.</p><p>But now he had ran, too. He had betrayed the Death Eaters, he couldn't go back.</p><p>Regulus reached out a hand to touch her face, just with the tips of his fingers and her vibrant green eyes snapped up to his, their gaze unwavering. Leaning closer, his cheek brushed against hers as he pulled her into an embrace, tugging her onto his lap. "Of course I wanted to."</p><p>Clara rested her face in the crook of his neck, taking in the existence of him. Just him. Not quite believing this was happening. He leaned his head back and cupped her cheek, tucking a stray curl of red hair behind her ear, his eyes dancing over her freckles.</p><p>"I missed you, so much. And I kicked myself every day that I didn't knock on your door, but I had to be careful-"</p><p>She shook her head and rested her forehead to his, "I know," she assured him. After a moment she mustered a smile, "I missed you, too."</p><p>Regulus felt like his heart was clawing up into his throat as his eyes glanced down at her soft, dusted pink lips. He leaned forward and kissed the corner of her mouth, so softly. Afraid she might disappear from his grasp and he'd wake up from some cruel dream. He ran his fingers down her neck, along her arm, and wrapped his own around her waist, pulling her closer.</p><p>Finally their lips met as one, fitting together so perfectly his mind went numb to all the dangers that surely lied ahead of them. Clara wrapped her arms around his neck, burying a hand in his dark, rich curls, letting him fill her up.</p><p>After a moment they pulled back, their breaths heavy and mixing in the air. Regulus laid down, pulling her with him and Clara rested her head against his lower abdomen, being careful to avoid his new scars. Regulus tucked an arm beneath his head and she eyed the Dark Mark tattooed into his skin for a moment, becoming painfully aware of her own that was searing into her flesh.</p><p>"Aparating like that was stupid," she mumbled into his skin, glancing up at him through her lashes.</p><p>"Walking into a trap when you know it's a trap is stupid," he said back, and she was greeted by the sight of that boyish smirk he used to always sport.</p><p>Perhaps the boy she knew wasn't gone, not completely.</p><p> </p>
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